Legend of a Wind Waker
by Rockpopple
Summary: Yikes! Another Wind Waker Story! It's based on the events of Wind Waker, but ...er... with a twist. Lame I know. Caleb devides to take on the Forsaken Fortress...but why? And for whom? **Ch. 3 is up! Please R&R**
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This story is based loosly on** The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker®**, Copyright Nintendo 2002,2003. 

**Legend of a Wind Waker**

  
Chapter 1 *Revised*

  
This is a story about Courage. It's also a story about Wisdom, and Power. It is the story about a person who learned he was much, much more than the sum of his parts. It's the story of love lost and love found. It's the story about high seas, of perilous adventure and exploration. It's the story about goofballs, lovebirds, misadventures, oddities, meanies, monsters, maidens, heroes and villains. It's the story of a legendand the Legend of a Hero

It's a story about many stories, but most of all, this is a story about a man named Caleb.

On a small and remote island, cloaked in the darkness of the night, Caleb was hard at work. He was pressed hard between the rafters and the ceiling of a pricey private cabana. His gaze was fixed on a guard strolling lazily below him, completely unaware of the young man just a few feet above. Somewhere in another room, the master of the house, a rich and successful merchant, was fast asleep, secure in the false assurance of his many riches.

The master's assurance was false because Caleb had been sent to by another man to steal those riches.

Caleb eyed the guard's movements carefully with eyes that were as dark and green as they were focused. He kept his young body as still as a corpse against the ceiling of the cabana, and watched as the guard stretched his arms and then looked to his left and right; doing so more as a way to stay awake than as a fulfillment of his duties. 

A small smile creased Caleb's face. "Idiot," he half-said to himself. Caleb hardly ever smiled, but when he did, it usually meant that things were about to go his way.

As silent as a whisper, Caleb zipped down from the ceiling, cracking the end of his single-edged blade against the guard's skull. The poor 'idiot' didn't even make a sound. His eyes simply glazed over and he started to tumble before the waiting ground. Caleb was faster, and he caught the fainting guard with one arm, and gently laid him onto the ground.

Silently. Ever so silently.

On cloudlike footsteps, Caleb quietly made his way to the Cabana Master's locked treasure room. It didn't remain locked for sure, lock-picking being just one of his many talents. He moved into the darkened room and towards the treasure chest inside, rubbed his hands, and hefted it easily off the ground. 

He was out of the Cabana in less than a minute, had the chest loaded into his personal sailboat in less than three and was several nautical miles away from the island before the poor 'idiot' owner awoke. 

Caleb knew that the owner would wake to realize how in the monopolistic competition that was his market; he was now a bit player.

He didn't care though. To him, it was just another successful mission.

@

If one were to take a look at Caleb without knowing a thing about him, their look would be met by the vision of a rather broody looking but plain young lad. He was just a young man after-all, barely seventeen years old. He was of average height, and sort of thin, and tanned from a life on the seas; quite unremarkable really.

Of course, there were a few things somebody would probably recall after a quick glancehis choice of wardrobe for instance. Caleb could always be seen with his wide brimmed, high collar, short sleeved shirt on: a shirt that was a dark blue in hue, with a nasty drawing of a white scorpion-crab adorning it's back. One would probably go away with a memory of that image in their minds.

However, while the unique tunic dressed his top, his bottom half was covered with a pair of grey long shorts that easily reached his knees. A plain pair of toeless brown boots sheltered his feet.

But it was in his face where those who looked at him realized the minutiae of his features. Those could see a head covered in bushy blonde hair, hair that was partially hidden underneath the strangest of hats: A dark green, long tailed toque that flopped lazily against the winds. 

Last but not least, and a feature that definitely bore into the minds of its beholders, were the eyes of this young man, they were completely dark green, even the pupils.

They say that the eyes are the windows into the soul. One had the impression when locking their eyes with those green pools, even when for a moment, that they risked being trapped within a soul they really didn't want to be ensnared in. A soul filled with something murky and angry.

All that being said, perhaps Caleb isn't as unremarkable as was previously mentioned. He certainly wasn't treated as unremarkable. His reputation preceded him in most islands, even on the bustling and lively Windfall Isle. They knew of him and in part, feared him as well.

Caleb was thief, an assassin, a mercenaryhe was basically a hired sword. Whatever job was needed, Caleb could get done, and he _always_ got the job done. When people needed something completed, something dirty and most probably illegal, they searched for Caleb

And that is what brought the young man to **Windfalll Island** one fateful day. As usual, he stepped up the stairs of a small Café that was nestled high atop the island in the middle of town, a café that was the popular hangout of the adults in town. It was also the place people went if they wanted to hire out mercs and the like. It was quite normal for people to come to the café and either leave a message, or to use the bulletin board posted at the far end of the dimly lit coffee house.

Caleb glanced around the café lazily and glanced over to the owner, a pretty older woman named Gillian who always threw Caleb a wink and a smile. He smiled back, although it was always a fake, weak smile.

He ordered the usual, green tea, and started reading over the posts at the bulletin board, and as he did, the local café regulars gave him plenty of room to move. They tried to hide it, but they were afraid of him, and they silently wished him ill. 

Naturally, Caleb didn't care. There were precious few things he did care about, and one of them was the type of jobs and challenges that appeared to him at the café. However, as he poured over the board, he saw that he would probably leave disappointed.

Rescue my Cat - Reward: 50 Rupees.  
Pointless.

Send Letter to Someone - Reward: 75 Rupees.  
No comment.

Murder - Reward: 200 Rupees.  
Tiresome.

"If you're looking for a job, honey, I've got an interesting one for ya here."

Caleb focused his whole-green eyes at Gillian and approached her. The smile never left her face. She passed him a letter and watched as Caleb read it carefully, and then lowered it gently and narrowed his eyes towards her.

"This is a joke."

Gillian shook her head. "No joke, Green Eyes," she started. "1500 rupees, that's more than I'll earn in a yearmaybe two."

"It's a joke," he repeated.

"I thought so too, but then he started giving these away." The woman reached under the counter and pulled up a bag full of shiny multi-colored crystals, most of then purple and red.

"Rupees" Caleb murmured.

"Two hundred!" Gillian squealed. "For absolutely nothing! Just to prove to us that he can pay you like he says. He even paid those other guys too," she said as she pointed towards the regulars at their round table. "I can tell you Caleb, this guy certainly looked like he was serious about the 1500 rupees. He looked very rich, regal even. Kingly! If I had half of your skills, I'd take the job."

Again, Caleb looked at the note. "But, it just says 'Go to **Outset Island**,'" he murmured. "Outset" His eyes narrowed as glimpses of painful memories zapped through his mind, and he didn't even notice that he was crushing the small piece of paper in a grave fist.

Gillian leaned forward and gave him a reassuring smile. Caleb had no idea why she was always so nice to him. Maybe she wanted to pursue some kind of relationship, though he figured her to be a smarter woman than that. Everyone knew mercenaries cared only about rupees and the thrill of the mission. Still, she was nice, and he didn't really mind.

"Listen, I can tell you don't wanna go to Outset, but forget about what might be waiting for you there. By the look in your eyes, you might have some history there. So what? Just think about the job. What are you always telling us? You always complete a mission. You always have."

"Why are you encouraging me to go like this? What if the mission is to kill somebody? You're actually endorsing this?"

She shrugged and closed her eyes in thought. "No, I don't endorse that. I know it's part of what you do thoughsometimes." Finally, she sighed and decided to give it one last go before she gave and turned her matters to other things. "Caleb, I don't like to see you so unsure about anything. If someone like you can be unsure of something, what does that mean for people like us? You've never hesitated before taking a job, even one as cryptic as this. I'd think for 1500 rupees, you wouldn't have to think twice."

Gillian was right, of course. Under normal circumstances, he would never hesitate to take a job, even one as cryptic as this, if it meant such a high payoff. Still, she didn't know about Outset, and Outset made the entire difference in this matter.

Still

With a smirk, he tossed the crumpled piece of paper into a nearby trash bin, stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts, and started down the stairs and out of the café. Gillian smiled sadly. It was the routine he always went through after accepting a job.

"_Let's just hope he's not asking you to burn the place to the ground_," she thought, only half-joking.

@

On a large merchant dinghy, afloat on a wide, titanic ocean is where the story truly begins. On the deck is where Caleb silently sat, while the boat's owner, a tanned and skinny man named Beedle, talked incessantly. Caleb could only sigh and curse his misfortune.

The merchant was towing Caleb's personal skiff because the engine simply would not work.

He had travelled far enough from Windfall Island so as to be impossible to swim back, but still several days away from Outset. Then his engine broke down. Caleb didn't understand why, he had maintained his engine faithfully, and had only checked it out a few days earlier. Then again, mechanics weren't exactly skills he had in spades.

The southerly wind wasn't favourable to sail down to Outset, so Caleb decided to simply wait until the winds turned favourable and he could set sail again. One hour became two, and two hours turned into six. Before he knew it, the sun was down, and the wind was still blowing hard to the North.

It had begun to look like he would be stranded at sea when Beedle the boat merchant sailed on by.

"OOOH!" he exclaimed, like he usually did when he said everything. "Hey! You need any help there buddy!?" 

That was how Caleb came to be hitching a ride on Beedle's ship.

"So, you know my brother thinks that Boko Baba seeds are the best for leech bites! Is he living in the stone age or what?" Beedle asked as he was sorting out his inventory. Caleb didn't answer, thinking that his silence might work to quiet the boisterous shop owner.

Ha. Right.

"Everyone knows Chu-Chu's where it's at!" Beedle continued. "The red ones can cure them all. Then again they're hard to find, eh buddy!? You ever find any on your own?"

Caleb sighed, his whole-green eyes concentrating on the ever-moving sea and it's dark brother, the sky. Finally he said, "Yes," in the hopes that it would end the conversation.

Right, and pigs fly.

"OOOH really!? They're pretty easy to find, but those red Chu-Chu's hit back pretty hard! Now fairies are pretty good too, but they're impossible to find. My brother says he sees them all over the place. Is he full of it or what, eh buddy!?"

A haze was covering he seas, obscuring sight from at least a few meters. There was no sound of fishes leaping from the waters and splashing back into its depth. There was only the sound of the seachurning, parting

"Sooo" Beedle exclaimed as he rubbed his mini-afro, "Wanna buy some bait?"

It was at that moment that Caleb looked to the side and saw it approaching in the mist; the large, looming outline of the boat that came up on them silently. At the sight of the apparition, Caleb's eyes widened and locked in a look of sheer terror. He gripped the handle of his blade with white knuckles, but he couldn't find the strength to pull it out of its scabbard. An intense fear was holding his grip fast.

"_N-no_" he gasped. "_Not him again. Not him again_"

"AHOY THERE!"

The boat broke past the mist and into clear view. It was a ship, with a huge black sail adorned with skull and crossbones. Caleb's hand fell away from his sword and he sighed in relief. It wasn't him. It was pirates.

The pirate that had called out through the silence of the night was a young woman. A small group of other men, differing in stature from burly to spectacled, surrounded her.

"OH!!!" Beedle exclaimed. "Kind sirs, are you looking to do some shopping?"

The girl smiled and the pirates behind her guffawed heartedly. "Umno, but we'll be fine with relieving you of your wares," she explained with hands on her hips. "Unless you've got something to offer us."

With an ice-like coolness, Caleb rose to his feet and turned his look to the girl directly. "Who's your Captain?"

The pirates blustered angrily, but the girl raised her hand with an air of authority and returned the boy's gaze. "I'm the Captain of this ship. The name's Tetra. Give me a reason why we shouldn't keelhaul you for your rudeness."

"Tetra," the boy began calmly. "I'm called Caleb. I want you to take me to Outset Island." Beedle looked completely stunned, but in Caleb's mind, he was doing the idiot a favour.

"You think we're just some cruise ship, ya punk!?" a large black-haired pirate bellowed. He seemed to hover near the girl, protectively. "We oughta drag you up here and have you walk th-"

"Shut-up," Caleb huffed. He then turned to the girl. "I'll pay you half of what I have on me right now. " He glanced over to his boat, which was tied to the back off Beedle's shop-ship. "Of course, you can count it for yourselves, but I have 200 in my wallet and another 1400 in chests on my boat. Haul my boat and I up and take me where I want to go, and you're looking at a cool 800 rupees."

Beedle's eyes were wide with confusion and hurt, and he and the pirates looked at Caleb hesitantly. "Why would you pay so much money to go somewhere when you obviously have a ride already?" the girl Captain asked.

Shrugging towards Beedle, Caleb made his point. "You think I wanna stay one more moment with a guy who didn't even notice a bloody Pirate Ship sneaking up on him?"

The smiled. "Says a guy who was obviously just as surprised as that mope you're riding with was. Not to mention a big fat scardy-cat. I could practically hear you quaking in your boots when you saw us."

Caleb's eyes grew cold, and dangerous, but he said nothing. After all, they didn't know. They couldn't know. It wasn't some poor band of pirates that he was afraid of.

"Still, you offer a lot of money, and we were heading south anyway. We wouldn't be pirates worth any salt if we didn't take you up on your offer." She smiled a wolfish smile. "That is, if you're brave enough to come and sail with us."

"But, Miss Tetra" the big protective pirate started.

"Be quiet, Gonzo! What are you, afraid of this scrawny kid?" The girl's response hushed the man up quite quick, and she then turned to Caleb again.

Caleb smiled. Without even another word or a look to Beedle he told the girl, "Haul me up."

And they did.

@

Once he was onboard and his boat secured firmly to the side of the pirates' ship, Caleb moved up to greet the girl Captain and got a good look on her. Like his, her skin was bronzed by the sea and the sun. Her hair was a blonde colour, and her eyes a hue of blue. Her tank top was covered partially with a small blue vest. She had a red scarf around her neck and a large red sash around her waist that acted like a sword-belt for a small dagger. She was thin, and about a head shorter than Caleb, but he could see that she was around her age. Her faceher face was well shaped. Caleb didn't bother with many people, least of all those of the opposite sex, but he would admit that the girl was pretty.

He couldn't get past her hairstyle though. It was sort of a pony-tail that curled up and was pinned to the top of her head. Caleb might have been staring at her hair a tad too long, because Tetra took a step towards him and glowered. "What are you looking at?"

Caleb pointed innocently at her head and told her. "Your hair. It's funny looking."

The large pirate that always floated around the girl stormed up to him and hoisted Caleb up by his wide collar. "What did you just say about Miss Tetra!!??"

Caleb said nothing, but he did look at the other man with a bored expression.

"All right, that's enough Gonzo. But take up his baldric. Sorry, bub, but we're not gonna let you carry around weapons while you're on our ship." At the girl's orders, Gonzo released Caleb and reached for his baldric. Caleb stepped back, unlatched the baldric and handed it and the sword attached to it over.

"You know, you're quick to point out people's flaws, when it seems you've got quite a bit of your own. I mean, look at that long floppy hat you got on. Who wears stuff like that?" 

Caleb grimaced. First his fear and now his toque, this girl seemed to be able to get her nose directly into things that didn't concern her. It was getting to him.

"That oughta shut you up. Well, I might as well introduce my men to you. The big guy is Gonzo. And here's Mako, Nudge, Senza and Zuko. Niko's bellow deck, but you'll get to know him soon enough." With that, she walked up towards Caleb, raised her head up towards him and smiled.

"You're gonna be his swabbie," she said with a wink, before leaving for the cabins.

"_Swabbie_," Caleb thought. "_Great._" He thought back to the note and the circumstances that brought him here. A gentleman of stature, presenting a job that could pay him more than Caleb's ever made before in his lifeand the only thing he had to do right now, was to go to Outset Island.

Outset.

Home, sweet home.

@

Lightning cracked angrily, and rain thundered down around the sharp and ugly spires that made up the tall towers of the Forsaken Fortress.

At the highest point of the tower, a man stood. A man tall and large, foreboding and vile beyond imagination. He did not stand alone. With him was an enormous dark bird that wore an iron mask. Beside the bird was also a thin, slender figure that wore an ivory oval mask, and was surrounded by tiny spectres.

"Helmaroc King, there is only one more left. You," the man said with a voice that rumbled from his huge chest. "You know your mission." 

The bird nodded and beat it's vast wings once, and took to the trembling skies. It turned majestically, and headed south.  


The man then turned towards the slender figure, who stood perfectly still on top of a thin balcony railing.

"Your concern is touching, but there is no need for you here. Now don't you have someone to haunt?"

Nodding slightly, the figure leapt backwards off of the railing, and was whisked away by spectres of bright light.

The man smiled a grave smile. Everything was in place, and soon his terrible ambitions would be realized.

This world will finally, and totally, be covered in the deepest darkness.

Just as it should be.

@

**Dither Bikky says**:

Okay, that's it for Chapter 1. What do you think? Now I sorta think this has potential, but I'd like some input here so review please. I hope it's not taking itself to seriously. Now get back to readin'


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: This story is based loosely on **The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker®**, Copyright Nintendo 2002,2003. 

**Legend of a Wind Waker**

  
Chapter 2

The door to the **Windfall Island** café burst open, and a large, redheaded man dressed in fancy bright orange clothes panted his way up to the main floor of the eatery.

"W-W-Wh-Wh-Wh," he gasped. Gillian the shopkeeper filled up a cup of water and ran over to the man with concern.

"Here, come on relax and drink this." Rather than following her good advice, the man pushed her away and glanced frantically around the room. Gossack, an old man who jumped at the slightest noise, froze in the spot and began to do a shake that would put a leaf to shame. The two burly sailors who frequented the café, Gummy and Kamo, shook their heads in disgust.

The man pushed his way through the café, moving anxiously. Gillian planted her hands on her hips. "What is it that you're looking fo-"

"Where is he? Where's that green-eyed." The man trailed off and turned towards the woman. "Where's that guy! That mercenary! I have a job for him!"

Gillian smiled a nasty smile. "Don't you know the days he comes up here? He left yesterday, on another job."

The man was aghast. "N-N-N-Not possible!!! My darling Mila! Who will rescue her!!!?"

It was at the mention of the name Mila that Gillian understood. She suddenly became sombre and lessened her attitude towards the man. "Oh" she whispered. "Your daughter was one of the girls who were"

She turned away from him for a moment, and then returned a bright and happy look. 

"You've got a fast boat, right?" 

@

Now a lot of people seem to have a very romantic view of pirates. A lot of people see them as swashbucklers, adventurers, men and women with green birds, patches in one eye and a gleam in the other. They are folks who brave the harshest of seas for love, adventure and treasure. It is truly a common notion, and a very desirable one.

What people need to remember that a lot of pirates, in fact most of them. aren't nice people.

In fact, a lot of pirates are jerks.

Caleb would have easily put this pack of pirates in the jerkish category.

Dumping a soggy sticky mop into a very dirty cleaning bucket, Caleb raised his new instrument of choice and continued to swab the deck. It was the most basic of pirate actions, and they had him working it to the bone. He simply didn't understand why he had to be labouring like this; he was paying them 800 bloody rupees for travel to **Outset Island**. However, they insisted: the money, plus hard labour until they reached their destination. Caleb concluded that they were simply a vast group of jerks.

Of course, insulting their Captain's hair and throwing them all kinds of dirty looks probably didn't do anything to relieve their 'jerkish' attitude.  
  
For some reason, at that point in time, Caleb felt like having some jerky.

He shook the strange thought out of his head and once again dunked the mop in the bucket. He supposed he might as well quit complaining about it. It's not as if there was anything else he could have done.

Wellthat wasn't completely true. He could have just killed them all and taken the ship for his own. But where would have been the profit in that?

Other than the ship of course.

In any case, he was interestedvaguely interestedin these strange buccaneers. He was especially interested in their captain: Tetra, a girl who was svelte and stern, pretty and harsh, all in one breath.

Just how did a little girl become Captain of a huge ship like this?

He got his answer one night while he was lounging at the bow of the ship, stargazing silently. That night, Tetra had come to visit him. She sat roughly next to him, slightly starboard, and draped an arm over her knee.

"So, what do you have planned for Outset, Caleb?" she asked suddenly. His answer was predictable.

"None of your business."

Tetra shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, fair enough," she said while chewing her bottom lip. "It's not that I expected you to answer that question. It was what we call here in the business an 'ice-breaker'."

Caleb's whole-green eyes moved temporarily from the stars and met Tetra's clear blues. "Ohso that's what that was," he supposed. "Needs a little work."

This is what they did; they verbally jabbed at each other, quietly, quickly, and constantly. 

Anyone else in the world might have called it 'flirting'. 

"Well then," Tetra started again with a grimace, "Just tell me where you did get such a weird hat, kid?"

"It's none-"

"It's none-" Tetra mimicked. "None of our business, none of your business. You can't do any better than that?"

Staring back into the stars, the girl noticed that he wasn't seeing anything. His eyes, as was his mind, were far, far away in the distant lands of memories.

"It was a birthday present," he finally spat. Tetra didn't think he seemed very fond of it at all. So why in the world did he wear it?

Before she could ask the question, Caleb countered with one of his own. He moved quickly, sitting up straight, and jabbed a harsh look into the girl's stunned eyes. "Tell me, what's a young girl like you doing running a pirate ship?" He grinned. "Usually, girls your age on ships like these do most of their work on their backs."

Tetra was stunned by his sheer abrasiveness, but shook it off professionally and calmly. "This was my mother's ship, my mother's crew," she said and she spoke it with pride. "They called her '**The Great Pirate Goldenetta**'", because her hair was so shiny and golden. If she were on this ship I assure you, you wouldn't be wagging your tongue so rudely around here." She winked and made a quick 'snipping' motion with her fingers. "She would have cut it right out."

She then looked long fully into the stars, and her eyes filled with hope and ambition. "I'm gonna become as great a Pirate as her one day. I know it. It's my destiny."

It was a cute display, but Caleb wasn't impressed. "Destiny?" he scoffed. "Don't be stupid. What kind of destiny is that? You think people are going to walk up to you and shake your hand, saying 'congratulations on being such a great pirate?' You think people'll care?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't care what other people think, Caleb." Tetra retorted coolly. "And what's your great ambition then? Becoming the greatest sneak and despot ever known to the Great Sea?"

"I don't have any ambitions," he mumbled, locking his hands together and moving them beneath his chin. "I'll simply live until I die. That is my destinyand believe it or not, it's yours too." Tetra stared back at him with a defiance that actually shocked him. To change this moral topic, he asked, "So then, why are you running the ship, instead of thisGoldenetta?"

A damp pall fell over the young girl, and she looked away. She was looking into the bright night sky with a concentration that went along with trying to recall a faded past. "She died, and I was left in charge. Killed in a storm on the seasof all things. Some pirate, I guess." She turned to Caleb, expecting to see some sort of sardonic smirk on his face.

Instead, he was turned away from her, attempting to hide a forlorn look of sincere understanding.

"It's tough, losing someone you love," he whispered, his green eyes becoming fierce and angry. "for no reason at all."

Tetra blinked and stared at him with a new appreciation of this boy, and with a renewed interest. A bevy of questions raced through her mind. Who was this man? What did he have to do in Outset, and above all, whom was he talking about? 

She realized that she was staring at him, and he was staring back. As blood began to rush to the surface of her cheeks, she stood up with anger and authority and pointed to the doorway to the cabins. "Talk time is over!" She blasted with a voice that nearly knocked the stunned young man overboard. "Get back under decks and back to work. Niko's waiting for you."

Caleb stared at her with confusion. He worked his mouth to say something, but got out a whole lot of nothing. Tetra moved her head near his and grinned evilly.

"Go now, or I'll throw you overboard. Try getting to Outset in the belly of a Gyrog*."

Moving up to his feet with the urgency of a sloth, Caleb gave the girl a cool look, and sauntered over below-decks. He decided not to bother using too many brain cells to ponder on the complex dichotomy that was the young female mind

er, any female mind, now that he did think about it.

As he went, Tetra watched him, and moved a hand on her hip as she chewed her lip in thought.

"_What an interesting kid._" she thought to herself. 

@

"All right, Swabbie! Get ready for some hard core pain!" the bucktoothed Niko said menacingly. He and Caleb were below decks, in the cargo hold, and Niko was lavishing the opportunity to boss someone else around for once. See, Niko is what they called in the business, 'the rat' of the Pirates, and it wasn't necessarily because he looked like a rat (which he actually kinda did). However, of all the pirates out there, Niko was the dumbest, the least talented and probably the shortest. But hey, what he lacked in ability, he made up for in ambition. 

Well, not really, but something good had to be said about the guy.

"You're gonna work harder, and faster, and harder than you've ever hardly worked before in your fast and hard life, swabbie!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! Really! All right swabbie, you think you're so big your first order of duty will be"

"Swab the deck?"

"Yeah! Swab the deck, swabbie!" Niko said triumphantly. 

Caleb shrugged. "Did that already. Permission to take a fourteen-hour nap, sir?" he asked, without the smallest hint of respect.

"Su-NO! Wait a minute swabbie! I'm gonna have you do some work down here in the cargo hold, swabbie, so look forward to it!"

The teen's shoulders slumped and he gave Niko a tired look. "Why in the hell would I look forward to it?" he grumbled. "And stop calling me swabbie."

"No. Now, follow me." With that, the rat-like little man moved to the edge of the cargo hold. The cargo hold had two raised sides, one side where the entrance was, and the other side where some other doorway was and in between was the lowered gap where cargo was actually held. In this gap were raised a number of raised platforms, and over each of these platforms were long ropes that were attached to the ceiling. These ropes had lanterns fastened to them. They were primarily there to give the room light, but they also served another purpose.

Niko leapt onto one of the raised platforms, expertly grabbed a rope that hung near it, and swung to the next platform nearest to the door on the other side. He swung from one more rope and landed cleanly next to the door. He stretched his arms as if it were with ease, and then rubbed his nose with a cocky swagger.

"Now, your first task will be to get to here from there, using just the platforms and the ropes, just like I did, swabbie!"

With a look of total incomprehension, Caleb glared at little Niko and blinked. "Howhow is that a task, exactly?" he called from across the room.

Again, Niko rubbed his nose, and this time he let out a rough laugh. "Swabbie," he sneered. "It took me years to perfect that technique. If you really must know, this task was personally designed by me, _for me_¸ to get a good laugh out of a sure-to-fail swabbie"

Niko trailed off because his brain couldn't formulate words and comprehend what was happening at the same time. Caleb had leapt up to the platform by the entrance, bounded from there to a nearby rope, and swung across to another rope all in one movement. He snatched the rope with one hand, landed on another platform and flipped backwards to the third rope, which he grabbed with his legs. Upside-down with his legs locked around the twine, he began to swing back and forth. Niko covered his eyes in fear of seeing the tumble and the splat, but instead heard a soft thud. He slowly removed his hands from his face, and saw Caleb before him, his long floppy hat swaying slightly with his movement. Niko's eyes buldged, and his jaw dropped the floor.

"Th" he stammered. "Wow! That's unbelievable swabbie! How did you do that so fast? I meanI mean weren't you scared at all?"

"I don't get scared," Caleb responded, and as soon as he did he winced visibly, as if what he just said wasn't the entire truth, and that it hurt him. Niko brushed it off and his smile widened.

"Soooo cool!" he murmured. Then he grew pensive. "But I can't let the other guys know that a swabbie like you passed my test so easily. They'll never let me hear the end of itand I'll be the lowest rung on the pirate ladder forever"

Caleb shrugged. "Gee. Sounds like you've got a problem." He then raised his hands behind head and grinned. "NowPermission to go above deck to tell everyone what a wonderful time I've had down here in these holds, sir."

"N-NO!" Niko begged. "Wait a minute! I got something for ya!" He ducked into the adjacent room and quickly returned with a purple pouch in tow. The pouch had the design of a monster on it. "It's a **Spoils Bag**. Nice and compact, and you can stuff tons of spoils inside it. It's magic, so it won't accept anything but stuff you get when you defeat or steal from people and monsters, so it's perfect for Pirates. I guy like you could use something like this, eh swabbie?"

Taking the Spoils Bag in his hand, Caleb considered it for a moment, and then accepted the prize silently. "Sure was pretty boring down here, Niko. You just got me to do boring, menial workno rope swinging or anything of the sort at all," he said in all seriousness. 

Niko smiled. "I'm glad we're on the same page here, swabbie."

"I don't think I could ever be on the same page as a witless wonder like you, sir," Caleb sighed. "And stop calling me swabbie."

A call from the intercom tube summoned the two of them above decks, so Caleb and Niko left the cargo hold for the fresh air of the open sea.

@

When Caleb reached the top deck, he saw Tetra waving him to come over, and so he did. She was at the bow of the ship, and she was pointing towards the sea. The sun had begun to peak out from beneath the waves, and gulls were hovering playfully above the top of the main mast.

"Check it out," Tetra said successfully. Caleb could clearly see a dot of land out in the sea. 

To Tetra's surprise, he pulled out a small telescope from his belt. The telescope was red and patterned with yellow stars and moons. It was clearly a child's toy. Why would a person like Caleb be toting around such a thing?

"Outset" he grumbled as he put the telescope back into his belt. Tetra laughed at the teen's dissidence.

"Don't sound too excited there, kid."

"Well, I guess you got us there pretty quickly, just like you prom." Caleb trailed off and he concentrated on his hearing. There was the sound of flappingno not flapping, more like the hard beating of large wings. Caleb had heard this sound once before in his life. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to blot out the painful memories, and he turned as if in slow motion to Tetra, who was blissfully unaware of what was to come.

Before she could even let out a sound, two large gnarled talons snatched her up off the ship. The pirates could only stare for a moment in stunned silence as a giant, dark bird with tail feathers like the colourful tails of kites carried her off into the air.

"MISS TETRA!!!!" Gonzo screeched. He turned to the other pirates and began to snap out orders. "Nudge, Niko, Senza, get to the engine room and start up the rowing machine! We have to keep up with thatthat thing! Zuko, don't let it out of your sight!"

"AYE-AYE SIR!" The pirates immediately got into action and moved without hesitation. Even Niko.

Caleb watched them move into action, and turned his gaze slowly towards the ever-shrinking silhouette of the giant bird. He whipped up his telescope and focused on the bird's grip. Tetra hung limply from it's gnarled claws. He couldn't tell if she was unconscious or dead. The bird was headed towards Outset Island.

"_Outset,_" he thought sourly. "_You cursed island_"

Turning to Gonzo, who was also looking at a bird through a high-powered telescope, he said, "You've taken me far enough. I'm leaving."

Gonzo stared at him with a look that could have shred steel. "You're leaving now!? At a time like this!!!"

"I don't think there's a better or worse time than now," Caleb surmised.

Gnashing his teeth, Gonzo crept up menacingly on the teen. "I saw you and the Captain talking last night. You can't tell me that there's not a bone in your body that wants to at least know what happens to her!"

Caleb meant his shredding gaze with a nonchalant look. "I can tell you exactly that. I've paid your cash, and I've swabbed your decks. I'm done here."

For a moment, it looked like Gonzo was going to attempt to break Caleb's neck. Instead, he relaxed his gestured off to the ship's starboard. "We're a little busy right now, so you'll have to disembark yourself."

And without a second thought, that's exactly what Caleb did.

@

The winds were finally blowing in his favour. A strong Northerly wind blew his small sailboat south towards Outset Island with such speed, that he easily outpaced the heavier Pirate ship. True, the pirates had a large sail taking benefit of the same Northerly wind, and they had the power of an engine pumping the rows and pushing the ship forward. However, the pirates were much heavier than Caleb's little skiff, which had recently become 800 rupees lighter. Well, at least he got his sword back.

Caleb sat at the stern of the boat, moving the rudder and controlling the speed at which he came up upon Outset. While he did, he took out his telescope and looked up towards the black monstrosity that soared the skies before him. He then lowered his gaze towards the island that was quickly looming larger and large in his vision.

Outset Island. From the way it's been referred to so far in this tale, one would think it was a dwelling dank and dark full of things vile and ugly. An abode to evil, smelly things and bad people, complete with sharp jutting rock spires, volcanoes and evil gingerbread houses ready to serve one's soul on a silver platter. It couldn't be further from the truth. Actually, Outset was a pretty quaint little place. A small fishing village made it's home on Outset. The island boasted a small beach that was habitat to little pigs and pristine clear waters. The island was divided by a small breach of water that streamed straight through, and was dotted by large slabs of rock that rose from the seas. On the other side of the island was a large cliff that rose into a small ancient volcano that had long since lost it's fire, and had become home to a tiny forest: a forest that was rumoured to be sheltering some sort of magical creature. The island's biggest feature was what might possibly be the tallest lookout tower in the Great Sea.

Suddenly a large blast rang by Caleb's ear, and shook the seas under him. He turned and to his utter astonishment, saw the pirates firing cannonballs at the flying creature. Cannonballs!

"_Idiots! They'll kill her!_" He thought with sudden alarm. His heart was racing, and he calmed himself down and faced the island. He was still a fair bit away, and he was coming in too fast, so he concentrated on controlling his skiff to a neat and clean docking.

There was another blast, and then another. Caleb finally turned and saw the pirate ship unleash one final salvo. The cannonball screamed through the sky and crunched solidly against the bird's metal head.

It stuck out its tongue with the shock of the impact, drooped its wings and fell from the sky for a moment. It also released its grip on the pirate captain.

Caleb watched her fall from the sky, slowly, deliberately, and torturously. She fell and fell, and then she was gone from his sight. She had fallen into the mountain forest.

"Wellwhat did they think was going to happen?" he told himself. As he continued to sail towards the beach, He squeezed his eyes shut.

***_I'm gonna become a great as Pirate as her one day_.***

"_Moron,_" he thought viciously as he released his hand from the rudder, releasing control from his skiff.

***I know it. It's my destiny.***

"_You idiot!_"

The ship crashed hard into the Outset beach, and boxes of supplies and treasures were hurled into the air, as was Caleb. He flew head over heels from the crash, and his eyes were open.

"What kind of destiny is that!?"

Caleb hit the ground running, and blasted across the sands of the Outset beach. He ran past familiar houses and buildings, trees and fences. People he knew and used to care about were just a blur to him. He flew past them all. He ran across the bridge and onto the second Outset beach, kicking up clouds of sand and dust in the air as he darted by. With his body leaned forward and his arms still at his side; he pushed up the rising path up the cliff. Grabbing the handle of his sword, he slashed his way through a thin thicket of small trees that usually grew to block up the Cliffside path. Caleb sheathed his sword, braced both hands against the cliff facings that walled either side of the path, and propelled his way forward. Again his feet touched the ground and immediately blasted into a hard run, around the top of the cliff and across the thin, rickety wooden bridge and with a final jump, through the cave opening into the forest.

Caleb skidded to a halt, bent forward and began to pant and gulp for air. His hands were braced on his knees, and his chest heaved deeply and rapidly. Sweat poured down his forehead, and as he wiped it off, he suddenly realized what he had done. 

He wrecked his boat, left all of his rupees for people to plunder, and nearly killed himself getting up to this stupid forestand for what? He wasn't even getting paid for this.

The saying 'in for a penny, in for a pound' didn't even apply because he wasn't getting bloody paid for any of thisbut he decided since he was here, he might as well search for the girlor her body. It wasn't long before he found her. She was unconscious, and hanging from a tall tree, her red sash looped around a blessed branch.

Caleb sighed and kicked a nearby rock. It bounced and fell into the lower growth of bushes and trees, and a high, gnarling sound emanated from it. Caleb became perfectly still and glanced over and into the brush. He recognized the sound.

Alone in the bushes and trees stood a lone scraggly little monster, wearing short pants, a vest and a bad disposition. It was also armed with a large curved sword. Caleb recognized the species; it was **Bokoblin**the smaller, smarter cousin of the much-feared Moblin.

With a smile, Caleb unsheathed his sword again and fell down into the thicket, in front of a large fallen tree trunk and directly in front of the Bokoblin. It saw him and let out a dissatisfied grunt. Lowering its weapon, it took a few careful steps until it was directly in front of the long-eared teen. Caleb was absolutely still.

Then the Bokoblin broke into a run, raising its sword high above his head. Caleb still didn't move. It rushed closer and closer upon him until they were practically nose-to-nose. At that point, it slashed forward-

-And hit nothing but tree trunk.

The Bokoblin blinked and sniffed once. Caleb was behind it, his sword at its skull. There was only a small rustling of leaves around his feet that showed that he had even moved at all. With a 'tsk', he smoothly drove his sword through the monster's skull. It twitched for a moment, and then exploded into a large cloud of purple dust and smoke.

Caleb withdrew his sword and sheathed it expertly. The **Orca Knight Style** of fighting wasn't going to be defeated by some measly Bokoblin. He turned to the pirate Captain that was still hanging in the tree, and began to work at getting her down.

@

When Tetra awoke, she awoke with a jolt. She sat up quickly and stiffly, and looked around with a bit of a panic. She was in a forest of some sortbut what had happened to that bird? Was it

She then saw Caleb, and then glanced down at her arms and her side. They had been torn by the bird's talonsbut they were now bandaged. How long was she out?

Calmly, she rose to her feet and dusted off her pants. "WellI suppose I owe you now, don't I?" She sighed and grinned smugly at the other. "How much is this gonna cost me?"

"I didn't ask for anythingso you owe me nothing."

Tetra blinked. "What? That doesn't sound like you."

Caleb sighed and rubbed at his temple. "Don't remind me."

At that moment, Gonzo and Senza ran up towards the two teens, panting and gasping tiredly.

"Miss Tetra!" Gonzo suddenly exclaimed. "You're all right! Thank the gods!!"

"No thanks to you!" she spat angrily. "What's the big idea, shooting me down like that? Was that your idea of a mutiny? Trying to get rid of me, were ya?"

Gonzo looked mortified. "MissMiss Tetra!!!" he gasped with watery eyes. "You-You were awake!?"

Tetra waved him off and crossed her arms. "Of course I was awake. I just wasn't gonna move and startle the big stupid bird. Well, whatever. No harm done."

"That'snot exactly true, Captain," Senza interjected. He looked to Caleb for a moment, and then to the girl. "I think we'd better get out of here. Something's happened outside."

@

Something's happened outside: the understatement of the century.

Near the beach, the townspeople were congregated. Caleb recognized them all, even though they were all a lot older now. His old master, Orca and his brainy brother Sturgeon were staring up into the sky solemnly. The married couple Abe and Rose were shouting and shaking their fist into the air, and their sons, the pre-teens Joel and Zill were crying. Mesa, a young man a few years older than Caleb, was hugging Sue-Belle, a pretty girl around his age, who made a living transporting items in buckets on top of her head. So, they had finally gotten together eh? But Sue-Belle was crying uncontrollably. 

When they noticed Caleb looking at them, a strange look crossed their faces. It was a look that was at the same time full of detestationand hope.

"C-Caleb" Sue-Belle sniffed between sobs. "M-my-y baby!"

Caleb blinked. "Baby? You have a baby?"

"Our baby Caleb!" Mesa shouted. "Our little girl, Andrea. Oh Andrea!" At the saying of the name, Sue-Belle collapsed into more frantic wailing.

Tetra stepped up next to Caleb and stamped her foot down with authority. "What the hell just happened here!?"

"That bird" Mesa gasped. "That bird justsnatched up our daughter and took her away. It just took off and turned that way," he said as he pointed south.

Going on the basis that that the world was round, 'that way' pointed towards the Forsaken Fortress.

Caleb let out a hearty laugh, and everyone turned on him. He waved them away, but his wide grin wouldn't leave his face. His smile was anything but happy. It was vicious and cruel, and filled with the most bitter irony.

"II'm sorry, but you're daughter was kidnapped by a giant bird?" he laughed. When he saw Sue-Belle's stunned look and teary eyes, he couldn't help but laugh again. Mesa's hands flexed into fists and he growled in rage.

Again, Caleb shook them off apologetically. "II'm sorryyou all know why I find that hilarious." With that, he let out a sigh and turned his cold whole-green eyes toward them.

"Sounds like you've got a problem," he said before turning away. "Good luck with that." 

@

  
**Dither Bikky says:**

Nooo! How can Caleb be so cruel!! Is he just a bad guy, or is another memory motivating him? 

Wow, you guys. Seriously, thanks for your reviews. And they're such good reviews too. Moo, you taught me the meaning of Christmasand of turning on allowing anonymous reviews. Thank you very much. Sfried, you taught me that true meaning of Christmas Eveand that I called Windfall Island: Windmill Island. D'OH. Thank you very much. I appreciate all of you wonderful folks, heath and DG and idiotbox. 

Now, how about some more reviews here? I really wanna know what people think of this new twist on Wind Waker so far. More input means more motivation, which means more chapters ;). I think if I like the story, I'll write more no matter how many reviews I get anyway. 

Anyhoo, thanks! Now get back to readin'

  
_*Gyrog is the shark creature in Wind Waker._  



	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**:     This story is based loosely on **The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker®**, Copyright Nintendo 2002,2003.

**Legend of a Wind Waker**

Chapter 3

The scene near the small Beach of **Outset Island **was getting ugly. 

After returning from the small mountain forest with Tetra and some Pirates, Caleb discovered that a little girl named Andrea was just kidnapped by the same bird that had assaulted the pirate Captain. When the girl's mother asked him for help, he responded by basically telling her that she was short on luck.

She tried as hard as she could, but Tetra could not remember seeing anything more callous before in her young life.

" 'Sounds like we've got a problem?'" Mesa gasped, simmering with anger while keeping his hands firmly on his wife's shoulders. "Is that all you can say?"

Rose, a woman large in stature but usually kind and sweet, turned on Caleb with a terrible look of disappointment and outrage. "After leaving us like that! After all that time, that's all you can say!?"

"What did you just say?"

The voice belonged to Caleb, and it was so quiet and angry it startled the young Captain, who was trying hard to understand whatever was going on. Caleb, who had stopped laughing and had been staring down into the sands, slowly raised his head.

"What did you just say? After I left you?" he growled. He turned to them with green eyes filled with disgust and a lip curled in anger. "If I recall, _you_ were the ones who abandoned _me_!"

"This isn't about you Cal-"

"This is entirely about me!!!" Caleb roared. "This is about the ….the IRONY of you people asking ME for help, after what you did!"

Abe, Rose's tall and lanky pig-rustling husband stepped forward with his hands up in a placating matter. "Caleb…you have to know…it wasn't us. It was that same thing…that bird. We didn't do anything!"

"THAT'S THE POINT!!!" Caleb blasted, while throwing his hands into the air. "God after five years you still-don't-get it! You didn't do ANYTHING! You just let her be taken! You let it carry her away and you never looked back!"

Abe winced and looked to the ground. "What were we supposed to do? We're not fighters, we couldn't do anything about that thing or where it took her." He glanced around to the other townsfolk, as if drawing the strength to continue. "But we've heard about what you do Caleb, what you've become: 'The green-eyed assassin with the strange long hat and crab-tunic'. You didn't think we'd know it was you? You have the ability to do something this time…It's too late for Ar-" 

"It's too late for her because you people chose to do nothing," Caleb whispered. "You think I have the ability? All I have are arms and legs…and the _ambition_ to _act!_ You had the same!" He gestured to Abe and Rose. "You and you, you all had the same ability. And you…" 

Caleb turned his cold gaze to an old skinny man with long grey hair with a long spear perfectly balanced in his hand. "Master Orca, you …" The teen made fists and clenched them until they shook. "You all had the ability and you did _nothing! _What about those stories you used to tell us, that Legend? The Hero!? Bastards! She needed a hero! You know what she got? Cowards!"

He drew back and squeezed his eyes shut. "Pathetic cowards…you're just like everyone else in the world. Dependant on others; never able to do anything for themselves…" He whispered, before facing them once again. "She's taken and you do nothing, but as soon as _you _need something, I'm expected to stand on my head?"

"What the hell Caleb!" Mesa suddenly blurted, he pointed quickly to Sue-Belle and then to himself. "We were just kids when that happened? What did you expect us to do?"

"SOMETHING! I EXPECTED YOU TO DO SOMETHING!!!" he had screamed so hard that he held his throat afterwards and swallowed. "She lived with you, called you friends. Gods, she loved you people…" He trailed off, glanced at the ground, and began to turn away. "Why did I even come? There's nothing for me here…"

Rose was furious. "So, what'll you do then, continue being a…a criminal? You think that's something we want to be associated with?"

Caleb shrugged. "I don't really care what you're associated with." With that final word, he moved towards the edge of the beach where his boat was aground. 

At least, that's what he thought he was going. He suddenly lurched forward, quickly regained his balance, and glanced down. Sue-Belle had her arms locked around his right leg.

"You-you're right," she cried silently.

Mesa reached a hand forward, but Sue-Belle shrunk away and held on to Caleb.

"You're right, Caleb. We should have done something, even though we were just kids. If we were like you, *****sniff***** if-if we kicked and s-screamed and didn't let it go, we might have been able to help her." She looked up at him and choked out the words, "I'm so very sorry."

Caleb gritted his teeth. "Sue-Belle…"

"But Andrea wasn't even born when that happened! She's innocent!"

"Get off me."

Tetra had never seen such a pathetic display. The girl was staring up at Caleb, blue-hair dishevelled and round face streaked with tears. Sue-Belle wouldn't give up, though. "I'll give you everything that I have! *sniff* I'll _do _anything! Just please… p-please help us. They say you're so strong, *sniff* that you've completed every task that you've taken. I…I'm begging you, Caleb."

Caleb stared at her for a moment longer. "Sue-Belle…" he sighed. "You can't… afford me." He then gently nudged her off of his leg, and walked to the side of his boat.

Sue-Belle began to cry again, and Mesa took her in his arms and led her back to their home. Rose, Abe and their two boys also leaved the scene. That left only Orca, Sturgeon and the pirates near the shores of Outset Island.

@

Tetra suddenly moved her hands to her hips, and she huffed angrily. "Damn…now I feel bad about leading that stupid bird to this Island."

"Do not blame yourself, Miss Tetra," Senza said artfully.

"I'm not blaming myself, Senza," Tetra explained. "Though I'd love to know just what's going on here. Who's this 'she' they kept referring to?"

Mako rubbed his nose and nodded. "I'd like to know more about this…'legend' he called it?"

"So…you strangers wish to know of this small Island's history?"

Tetra jumped and whirled around. Behind them was the old man Caleb had called 'Orca'. How in the Great Sea had he gotten behind her without her knowing?

"Very well," he said gravely. "I have a feeling you should know. You see, a long time ago-"

"HEYYY!!! What do you think you're doing, you brainless twit!" A smaller, frailer old man with a huge noggin interrupted Orca and got in front of him. "Forget this fool, he's got the tongue of a hacksaw…not a poet."

Tetra grinned. "And who are you, grandpa?"

"Watch your mouth, little girl! I'm this idiot's brother. The name is Sturgeon, and I know everything about just about almost everything!" While he said this, Orca shook his head and walked away.

"So…then," Tetra muttered, "why don't you tell us what's going on?"

Sturgeon laughed roughly and sat on a patch of grass. "Well, I don't know why a bunch of strangers…pirates no less…should know about our little affair…but that bird did snatch you up. You might as well know." He pointed to the ground with his cane.

Tetra stared and then blinked angrily. "What? You want us to sit down? You think this is playtime at the kindergart-"

"SIT!!!"

The pirates did what they were told, and Sturgeon took in a large breath. "I guess we should begin with the Legend that we tell our young'ns. You see…

This is but one of the legends of which the people speak...

Long ago, there existed a Kingdom where a **golden power **lay hidden.

It was a prosperous land blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace.

_She could see the vast fields of green that teemed with life. A huge mountain loomed in the distance, and to the East were crystal clear waters and waterfalls. She could smell the sands of a huge, ancient desert. Bustling towns and a massive Castle dominated the horizons._ _Her heart jumped into her throat as she felt the vague feeling…or memory…or a man in red. He was burning, destroying everything. People were screaming…_

But one day, a man of **great evil **found the golden power and took it for himself...

With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom.

But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand… 

 _The boy…_

...A young boy **clothed in green **appeared as if from nowhere.

Wielding the **Blade of Evil's Bane**, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light.

This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as –

 _The Hero of Time?_

_-_The **Hero of Time**.

Tetra gasped and clutched her chest. The others stared at her with concern, and Sturgeon stared at her in anger. She didn't care. She turned her face away from them and glanced at her right hand. It was hurting.

"_What the hell is this?_"

Sturgeon cleared his throat and continued:

The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became Legend.

But then.... a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the Kingdom.

The great evil that all thought at been forever sealed away by the Hero

...Once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs.

The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them.... 

But the Hero did not appear.

Faced by an onslaught of evil the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods.

In their last hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their future in the **hands of fate**.

What became of that kingdom...?

None remain who know.

The memory of the Kingdom vanished, but its legend survived the wind's breath.

Sturgeon paused to let the weight of the story sink in. The pirates seemed to be interested, but Tetra was still looking away. "So…what does it have to do with Caleb?

Sturgeon sneered. "Well, on our island, it's customary to garb boys in green when they came of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspire to find heroic blades and cast down evil!" He emphasized that last point by slamming his cane into the grass. "We wish only for the youths to know **courage** like the Hero of Legend..."

Then he sighed, and slumped over, seemingly becoming years older in appearance. "…But it doesn't always end up that way."

Without warning, Tetra leaned forward and glared at the old man. "What happened with Caleb?" she demanded to know.

Sturgeon shrugged uncomfortably, and then raised to his feet. "Five years ago, Caleb was twelve then…and it was his birthday. It was the day for him to wear the clothes." He waved absently into the air. "It was only supposed to be for the day, but Caleb hated it. He thought the clothes made him look stupid. When his sister wanted help their Grandma in dressing them, he forced her to stay outside."

"Wait a minute," Tetra insisted. "Sister? That's who he's talking about isn't he?"

Nodding slowly, Sturgeon elaborated. "Yes…her name was Aryll, sweet little girl she was…"

He had grown silent, and Tetra was losing her patience. "What happened to her!?"

Sturgeon remained silent for a moment, and then said, "The same thing that happened to Andrea today, she was kidnapped by a giant bird; probably the exact same one. "

Tetra was stunned. "_The exact same one…"_ To her mind, it couldn't have been a coincidence.

"Caleb was devastated. They were always so close…especially after their parents died, and Aryll was only five when it happened, and she idolized him. Caleb wanted the whole island to get on our little fishing boats and storm Forsaken Island…but that was suicide. He wanted to go himself, and we stopped him."

Gonzo had a mocking grin on his face. "So then, what did you people do?"

"We did what we could, boy!" Sturgeon snapped. "This is a small fishing village. We weren't equipped to go take on the Forsaken Fortress. It's called a Fortress for a reason you know!" He spat, repulsed at the whole situation. "We asked for help, we even used the Rito postmen to send out are cries, and even to check in on her. One day, they came back and reported no sign of a little girl in the Fortress. We knew what that place was full of, and we knew what became of her." Sturgeon shook his head. "That poor lass."

"So Caleb got pissed, and he left to find her himself," Tetra concluded. She released a small laugh. "Can't say I blame him. Doesn't look like he found her either."

"There was nothing to find…"

At that moment, they heard a commotion coming from the ocean. They turned and saw a large and sleek boat rapidly approaching from the north. The boat was long and red, with many burly sailors working many stiff oars. The tall mast of the boat held two sails, and they were both large and diaphanous.

The boat sailed smoothly into the dock, and before it had completely stopped, a tall gentleman jumped out. He was rather large, and he wore a fine red coat. When he saw Caleb, he gasped, and then skittered up to him.

"Blue shirt…crab drawing…long hat…weird green eyes…" He clasped his hands together and shook them pleadingly. "Tell me that you're Caleb! You've got to be!"

Caleb sighed. 

"You are him aren't you!?"

At this point Caleb was beyond annoyed. "What do you want!?" he blasted.

The man was unfazed. "I've got a job for you." He pulled out a pictograph of a young girl and handed it to Caleb. She was around the age of twelve. She had a sharp nose and blonde hair, and she looked serious. "This is my darling Mila…"

"Mila?" 

"Yes. You see, she's been kidnapped! A few days ago, a large black bird snatched her up and off the ground, right in plain sight of everyone!"

Tetra stepped forward. "Did you say a large black bird?" Caleb said nothing, but the clenched his free hand fiercely.

"Yes! We believe she was taken to the Forsaken Fortress…but we've no idea why!"

"But there are clues."

The deep voice originated from above them. They all looked up and saw a tall and lanky man descend from the sky. His clothes were plain and simple. He carried a large bag around his waist. His skin was dark and brown, and his hair was white. The large beak on his face identified him as a member of the **Rito** tribe of birdmen.

As he landed, his large wings moulted and the large feathers revealed skinny arms. He raised on of them in greeting and stepped forward. "Excuse me for intruding. I saw everything from the skies. I'm on my daily patrol."

Orca nodded. "Good to see you again, Quill."

The Rito postman returned his greeting and then turned to Caleb. "There was another girl taken to the Forsaken Fortress. She from Windfall, like his daughter." He nodded towards Mila's father.

"Don't put that little urchin in the same breath as my precious Mila!" he blasted.

"Shut-up," Caleb said bitingly, before facing Quill. "What makes you think these kidnappings are related?"

The tall Rito crossed his arms across his chest. "These girls all have long ears. It was rumoured that people with long ears could hear the voices of the gods." He then stared hard at Tetra. "That must have been why it took you. You've got those long ears. But it must have realized it made a mistake and it took the girl here instead." He then turned to Caleb. "I see you've got long ears…"

"You don't see me in a skirt, do you?" the young mercenary growled. "But you could be on to something."

"WHO CARES?" Mila' father raged. "Listen! You've got to go save her!"

Shaking his head, Caleb was already preparing a way of rejecting the man's advances.

"I have ten-thousand rupees on my boat. It's all for you if you just agree to take my job!"

Caleb froze and proceeded to gape at the man.

"Not enough? Okay…okay…how about this. I'm worth approximately one million rupees. If you rescue her, I'll give you half."

The crowd standing around them raised an arm in front of their heads and stepped back in shock.

"Okay…I'll give you everything. Everything I own! I have to leave beside a little fund for my daughter…but…"

"One…one million rupees?" Caleb choked.

"It's everything I have!"

"_One million,_" Tetra thought while gasping inwardly. "_And ten-thousand up front. Hmmm…_" She had her scheming face on.

Caleb had his on too. "So, all I have to do is rescue your kid from the Forsaken Fortress…" Mila's father nodded excessively. Caleb glanced at him one last time, and then crushed Mila's pictograph and tossed it to the ground.

Mila's father dove and caught it before it touched a grain of sand. He whipped around to face Caleb and shrieked, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!!!???"

"I'm taking your job," Caleb answered simply. He turned to the man and gestured off into the sea. "Head back to Windfall. I'll meet you there, with your kid."

"You're going!?" Orca said, stepping forward. "I don't understand."

Caleb met him, and then gazed out into the sea. "I just wanted an excuse to conquer that place…" he whispered. Then he turned back to the old man with a smile devoid of joy. "But, I'm not gonna do anything cheaply."

"Caleb…you…"

"'Caleb I' what?" he sneered. "You want to rescue Sue-Belle's girl, you go ahead. I don't care if I see her in the Fortress…I'm leaving with Mila; end of discussion."

The Rito shook his head in disgust, but said nothing. Then Tetra stepped forward with an idea.

"Caleb, we'll take you!"

"What?"

Tetra winked and nodded. "We owe these people for drawing the bird here…and I owe you for helping me out a few minutes ago." She leaned forward and wagged a finger at him. "You'll get their much faster with our help, plus after you're done with Mila, you might cause enough commotion for us to help Andrea and the other girl…for a fee of course. Besides, you'll never get close enough to the Fortress without our cannons."

Grudgingly, Caleb agreed. It wouldn't be easy without the pirates help. "Fine," he said. "Don't try anything funny though. Get ready to leave." He started walking off towards a large house on the western side of the island.

"Where are you going?"

Caleb paused in mid-step, and turned to glance back at her sidelong. "There's someone I have to see." With that, he continued on towards the house.

Chewing on her lip, Tetra barked orders to her pirates, and they moved into action. She knew they had to be ready if this crazy plan was going to work.

@

The sweet aroma of hearty soup filled the air, and it brought an ache to Caleb's heart. Even being in this house was torturous, but it was also somehow therapeutic. It was as if being in this old log cabin brought out the kinder gentler side of his memories, a side he didn't think he deserved to experience.

"You made your Grandmother sad you know," a kindly old voice whispered.

Caleb nodded. "I know Nana."

Nana was Caleb's grandmother's sister, and her best friend. Caleb and his sister knew her and loved her like she was their dear granny, and as far as he was concerned; she was his only family left alive. One day during his trip through Windfall Island, he had received a letter from Nana, telling him that his grandmother had passed away. Caleb was not present for the funeral.

The old woman rubbed her hands by the crackling fireplace and smiled longingly at Caleb. "Still, she loved you, straight until the end. Losing Aryll, and then you, it was more than her poor heart could take."

He glanced up towards the framed pictograph that hung above the fireplace. It depicted a boy, and a younger girl, both with blonde hair and completely green eyes. A kindly old woman was wedged between them, holding them close together.

"Caleb, there's something she wanted to give you before she died." Nana rose to her feet and procured a small chest from underneath the rocking chair. Caleb stood and moved towards her. She opened the chest and brought out a small shield. It was metal and grey, and it had a blue facing with the insignia of a golden eagle. 

"This has been carried around in our family for as long as we can remember. We think it came the Time of Legend…when knights and heroes roamed the earth." She offered it to Caleb. "Take it. It'll keep you safe."

Feeling a rise of shame well up within him, Caleb shook his head. "I-I can't accept this."

"Caleb, your grandmother only wanted to see that you were safe and happy, and it's all that I want too." She pushed the shield into his hands. "I know you're a good boy, no matter what they say. You've got great things ahead of you."

Again, Caleb shook his head, but he took the shield, if only to stop her from talking. He missed the knowing look in her eyes. "Thank you, Nana."

Patting his hand tenderly, she smiled and added, "Don't forget to visit, dear. Try not to do anything that'll make your grandmother sad."

Caleb nodded, turned and headed out the door. He couldn't make any promises.

@

By mid-afternoon, the Pirate ship once again sailing the Great Sea, taking the Northerly wind south to the Forsaken Fortress. Once again, Caleb was sailing with them. This time however, he wasn't acting as Niko's swabbie.

Caressed by the winds as he stood on the main deck, Caleb checked his items. He had the Spoils Bag and his trusty Bait Bag fastened to his right. The baldric slung around his shoulder had his slender one-edged blade attached to it, along with his new shield. His bag of rupees was topped off at two hundred, and he had the rest of the riches he acquired from Mila's father tucked away in the Cargo Bay. His only other possession was a small child's telescope.

"Well, that was quite the display."

Tetra. Caleb didn't turn to meet her, and in return, she patted him hard on the back. "Don't feel so bad, all families have their problems."

Caleb grunted. "It's not that simple."

"Sure it is," Tetra insisted. "Now…I don't mean to pry into your personal affairs-"

"-Then don't."

"But don't you think you're being a little hard on those guys? I mean…" she trailed off when she saw Caleb staring back at her. For a moment, he looked like he was going to explode, but instead he just sighed heavily. 

"You know…Tetra…they had to knock me out to prevent me from grabbing a boat to sail to the Forsake Fortress," he whispered. "Said that they didn't want to lose me too? Isn't that a riot?" He twirled the small telescope in his hand. "She gave me this that day, a birthday present. She said: 'Big Brother…I'm only letting you borrow it. Just for today.'"  Then he tucked the telescope into his belt. "She really liked this stupid telescope. Hmm…it's not half bad either."

Tetra smiled. "So that's why you seem to take so much care of it."

"I take care of all my things." He glanced at Tetra, and then quickly back into the sea. "Do you think we'll reach the Fortress before the sun goes down?"

"Why, what are you, afraid of the dark?" she said with a mocking giggle.

Caleb cloned her giggle perfectly and added. "You wanna quit being a smart-ass and answer the question?"

"Answer your own damn question." The pirate captain rose to her feet and went to her cabin. Caleb sighed and closed his eyes, letting the wind wash over his body and the scent of the sea fill his nostrils. As the ship moved closer to it's target, the skies grew stormy, and the seas waved roughly. Caleb wrung his hands nervously.

As long as the sun was out, Midnight would not come, and if he managed to reach the Fortress before night, he'd be all right.

"_Don't be afraid,"_ he told himself. "_Don't be afraid._" 

In the horizon, the jagged monstrous towers of the Forsaken Fortress loomed darkly… 

@

**Dither Bikky says**:

What's Caleb so afraid of? Not the Fortress… but that's a mystery for another day. 

Thanks for reading, good folks. Now, idiotbox, you asked about the ages. You're right, having Tetra call him a kid can cause confusion. She only did it because she's a big shot Pirate captain. They're actually the same age…Tetra might be a few months older.

Please review…and look out for an upcoming **Metroid **story for any **Samus Aran **fans out there.

Oh, and for you clever folks who used to clues in my profile to discover my **true identity**, Congratulations for being so bloody smart. :) :) Seriously … moo already figured it out. Too smart, I must say. Just do me a favour and keep it mum for now.

All will be revealed! …and it's not really important. What's important is the stories!

Now get back to reading.


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